MegaTest Medical Series: Understanding Body Protected Area BPA requirements & Electrical Safety in GP Practices
- MegaTest
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Blog 2: What Is a Body Protected Area (BPA) — and What Actually Triggers One?
Quick summary
A BPA applies to a room, not individual pieces of equipment
Certain procedures and equipment increase electrical risk and trigger BPA requirements
Not all electrically powered equipment makes a room a BPA
Understanding this properly helps avoid unnecessary or incorrect electrical work
A Body Protected Area (BPA) is a room where additional electrical protection is required because of how medical procedures and equipment are used with patients.
Under AS/NZS 3003, BPA requirements are focused on the electrical installation of the room, not on individual devices.
In simple terms, a BPA is typically required where:
A patient may be electrically connected to medical equipment
Invasive or minor surgical procedures are carried out
Clinical activities introduce increased electrical or patient risk, even if equipment is not permanently connected to the patient
Examples that commonly trigger BPA requirements
In general practice settings, BPA requirements commonly apply in rooms where equipment such as the following is used:
ECG equipment, where the patient is directly connected via electrodes
Electrosurgical or diathermy equipment
Treatment or procedure rooms where invasive techniques are routinely undertaken
Rooms used for procedures where patient-connected equipment forms part of normal clinical activity
Examples that do not automatically trigger BPA requirements
Some equipment is often misunderstood in this context. On its own, the following does not usually require a room to be classified as a BPA:
Electric examination beds or powered chairs
Mains-powered otoscopes etc.
While this equipment does not automatically trigger BPA requirements under AS/NZS 3003, it is still considered medical equipment and must be managed, inspected, and verified under AS/NZS 3551. This will be explained in more detail in the next blog.
RCD requirements within a Body Protected Area
For a room to meet Body Protected Area (BPA) requirements under AS/NZS 3003, the Residual Current Device (RCD) protecting the room must be installed within the room itself.
The intent of the standard is that BPA protection is room-specific, clearly identifiable, and readily accessible to clinical staff.
As such, RCD protection located solely at a distribution board does not meet BPA requirements, even if that RCD supplies only that room.
BPA rooms are required to be protected by a dedicated medical-grade RCD installed within the room so that:
Staff can clearly identify what outlets and equipment are protected
The room can be safely isolated if required during or after a procedure
There is no ambiguity about which circuits are associated with the BPA
It is also important to note that standard domestic 30 mA RCDs are not suitable for BPA use. Medical RCDs (10mA) are specifically designed for patient areas and are tested and verified differently to support patient safety in clinical environments.
Where BPA protection is not installed within the room, further electrical work is required for the room to be correctly classified and commissioned as a BPA.
Why correct BPA identification matters
Correctly classifying rooms allows practices to apply the right level of electrical protection, engage electricians with clear and accurate information, and plan upgrades sensibly and cost-effectively.
Misclassification can lead to either over-engineering or under-protection — neither of which benefits patient safety.
Questions on Body Protected Area BPA requirements
If you’d like help confirming which rooms in your practice require BPA protection, or simply want to talk it through, the team at MegaTest Solutions Ltd is happy to assist.
Call us
027 22 33 446
Coming up next
In the next article, we’ll explain the difference between test & tag and medical equipment testing, and why both are important in a medical practice.
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